Self-closing faucet



Dec. 3l, 1935. A` W WHEATON l2,026,110

` SELF CLOSING FAUCET I I /45 v, l

L ,r 6 lNvENToR ATI'ORNEY Dec. 3l, 1935. A W. WHEATON 27,026,110

SELF CLOSING FAUCET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1954 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-CLOSING FAUCE'r Application August 24, 1934, Serial No. 741,243

3 Claims. '(Cl. 251-134) 'Ihis invention relates, generally, to improvements in valves, and the invention has reference, more particularly, to an improved valve construction of the self -closing faucet type.

This invention has for its principal object to provide a novel valve structure adapted to afford free flow of fluids discharged therethrough with a minimum of turbulence, friction and eddying. To this end the valve structure is provided with a novel valve member cooperative With an internal valve port; said valve member having a fiuid diverting means provided with an intake opening adapted toregister with the valve casing inlet or intakewhen the valve member is in open relation to the valve port, so that a free path of flow, having no internal obstructions, is offered to the fluid. Y

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a valve having the above-mentioned characteristics, a novelarrangement of means rendering the valve self-closing; and a further object is to provide a novel construction' of means for eiect' ing. the opening movement of the valve, `whereby such operation may be accomplished with ease, and Without risk of binding or undue friction.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description Vof the same.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the novel valve or faucet according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a rear face elevation of the same; and Fig. 3 is an opposite elevation thereof.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of the novel valve or faucet, drawn on an enlarged scale, and showing the same in closed condition; Fig. 5 is a similar View, showing the same in open condition; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section and part elevation, taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 5; Fig. 'l is a horizontal section, taken on line 'I-'I in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a side elevation with a cover plate of the valve actuating means in section; and Fig. 9 is a horizontal section taken on line 9-9 in Fig. 8.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

The illustrative embodiment of the novel valve structure according to Y this invention, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, is of the self-closing faucet type, such e. g. as adapted for use as a discharge means for oil and gasoline tank trucks and similar uses.

'I'he valve structure comprises a main valve casing I0, internally screw threaded at its upper end to receive .a closure cap I I. Integral with the main casing I0, and extending laterally and preferably angularly therefrom at a point adjacent to its upper end, is an intake branch I2, the inlet 5 passage lf3 of which communicates with the interior of said `main casing I0. The free end portion of said intake branch I2 is internally threaded for coupling the same in operative connection with a tank or the like (not shown), 10 which it is to serve. Said main casing I0 is preferably, although not essentially, internally screw threaded to receive one element I4 of a hose coupling connection, so that, if desired, a discharge hose may be coupled to the outlet end of the valve or faucet.

Provided within the interior of said main casing In below the intake branch I2 thereof, is a transverse partition I5, in which is provided an opening or port I6, the upper margin of which is bounded by a chamfered valve seat II.

Verticallymovable within the main casing interior, and slidable through the valve seat port I6, is a fluid iiow guiding or diverting means, the `same comprising a cylindrical member I8 having a curvilinear passage I9 with its intake 20 at the side of said member adjacent to its upper end and its outlet 2I at the open lower end of the latter.. Anl axial upwardly projecting threaded stud 22 is provided in connection with the upper extremity of said diverting member I8. Secured over this stud, and to the upper extremity of said diverting member I 8, by the nut 23, is a valve disk 24 having a facing washer 25 to engage the valve seat I1, and thus close the port I6, when the diverting member I8 is in its downwardly moved inactive position (as shown in Fig. 4). At its lower extremity, said diverting member I8 is provided with an external annular flange or shoulder 2&5. Exteriorly encircling the diverting member I8, between the underside of said partition .I5 and said flange or shoulder 2E, is a compression spring 21 which functions to move said diverting member I8 downwardly to inactive position, thus, at the same time, seating the valve disk and its facing washer in closing relation to the valve seat port I (as shownin Fig. 4).

The opposite exterior lateral sides of the main casing II) are suitably shaped to provide seating faces I0 (see Fig. 9) for the application thereto of removable housing members 28, which provide enclosing chambers 29 in which are arranged valve actuating elements hereafter described. Said housing members 28 are provided with peripheral perforate flanges 28', through which `55 fastening screws 30 are engaged to secure said housing members to the main casing. Gaskets 3l are inserted between the housing members 28 and the main casing I0 to establish therebetween fluid tight joints. Formed in the opposite side Walls of said main casing I0, between the interior of the latter and the housing chambers 29, are vertical guide slots or ways 32, which are situated below the valve seat opening or port I6. Suitably journaled to extend transversely in and between the housing members 28, at the rearwardly off-set portions thereof, is a shaft 33. Extending between said housing member 28 at the back of said main casing II) is a transverse housing portion 29 which encloses the intermediate portion of said shaft 33. Fixed on the respective ends of said shaft, so as to be respectively disposed and movable within the chamber 29 of the respective housing members 28 are lever arms 34. One of said housing members 28 is provided with an external stuing box 35 and cooperating gland 36, through which an extension 33 of said shaft 33 exteriorly projects. Arranged in said stuiing-box is a suitable packing 3'I to surround said shaft extension and provide a fluid tight joint around its exteriorly projecting portion. The external end of said shaft extension 33 is provided with a squared end portion 38, to receive operative application thereto of a suitable wrench lever 39 (shown in dotted outline in Fig. l); by which said shaft 33 may be actuated. Connected with the lower end of said diverting member I8, to project laterally from opposite sides thereof, are journal studs 49. These studs lil extend respectively through the respective guide slots or Ways 32 into the chambers 29 of the respective housing members 28. Pivotally secured by their upper ends to the free ends of the lever arms 34, and by their lower ends to said journal studs 40, are connecting links 4I.

To open the faucet valve above-described, a suitable wrench 39 is applied to the squared end 38 of the shaft 33-33', and thereupon the same is swung or turned in a clockwise direction to rotate said shaft. Such movement of the shaft functions to swing upwardly the lever arms 34 from their normal down-swung position which they occupy when the valve is closed. The upward swinging movement of said lever arms 34 is transmitted through the links 4I to the diverting member I8 and the valve means 2li-25 carried thereby, thereby lifting these parts vertically upward, against the compression of the spring 21, within the main casing I IJ. Such upward movement of these parts removes the valve means 24-25 from closed relation to thevalve seat port I6, and at the saine time raises the diverting member I8 to operative position wherein the intake 29 of its passage I9 is aligned with the inlet passage I3 of the intake branch I 2 of the main casing I0. When the parts are in the described operative positions, the discharge of fluid through the faucet valve takes place. The fluid entering the faucet valve through the inlet passage I3 of the intake branch I2 is smoothly and easily diverted, with a minimum of impedance and friction, through the unobstructed passage I9 provided by the diverting member, and consequently undue turbulence or eddying is avoided, and a free full flow of the fluid is discharged through the open faucet valve.

Owing to the fact that the diverting and valve means is supported at opposite sides by the vlifting means, a very smooth and easy operation of the valve mechanism is assured, whereby sticking, binding or undue friction is entirely eliminated.

When the wrench 39 is released from upswinging pressure, the spring 2'! will quickly and easily 5 return the diverting member and valve to normal initial positions, with the latter seated in closed relation to the valve seat port I6.

As many changes could be made in the abovedescribed construction and many apparently 10 widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustra- 15 tive and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:-

1. A valve, comprising a main casing having a lateral intake branch adjacent to its upper end, an outlet at its lower end, and a valve seat port intermediate said intake branch and outlet; a diverting member vertically slidable through said valve seat port, a valve means carried by the upper end of said diverting member and operative on movement with the latter to open and close said valve seat port, said diverting member having an unobstructed curvilinear passage adapted, on upward movement of said diverting means, to be aligned between said intake branch and the outlet of said casing, an external annular flange at the lower end of said diverting member, a spring means externally encircling said diverting member between said flange and said valve seat port, said spring means being operative to yieldably hold said diverting member in inactive position and said valve means in closed relation to said valve seat port, and means connected with said diverting member for manually raising thel same to active position and moving said valve means to valve seat port opening position.

2. A valve, comprising a main casing having' a lateral intake branch adjacent to its upper end, an outlet at its lower end, and a valve seat port intermediate said intake branch and outlet; a diverting member vertically slidable through said valve seat port, a valve means carried by the upper end of said diverting member and operative on movement with the latter to open and close said valve seat port, said divertingmember having an unobstructed curvilinear passage adapted, on upward movement of said diverting means, to be aligned between said intake branch and the outlet of said casing, an external annular flange at the lower end of said diverting member,

a spring means externally encircling said diverting member between said flange and said valve seat port for yieldably holding the diverting member in inactive position and said valve means in closed relation to said valve seat port, means providing housing chambers at opposite sides of said main casing, said main` casing having vertilcal slots in its side walls respectively communicating with said housing chambers, said diverting member having pivot studs projecting through said slots respectively into said opposite housing chambers, a shaft journaled in and between said housing chambers, lever arms on said shaft within said housing chambers, links connecting said lever arms with said pivot studs of said diverting member, and exteriorly exposed means for actuating said shaft.

3. A valve, comprising a main casing having a lateral intake branch adjacent to its upper end, an outlet at its lower end, and a valve seat port intermediate said intake branch and outlet;

a diverting member vertically slidable through said valve seat port, a valve means carried by the upper end of said diverting member and operative on movement with the latter to open and close said valve seat port, said diverting member having an unobstructed curvilinear passage adapted, on upward movement of said diverting means, to be aligned between said intake branch and the outlet of said casing, an external annular flange at the lower end of said diverting member, a spring means externally encircling said diverting member between said lange and said valve seat port for yieldably holding the diverting member in inactive position and said valve means in closed relation to said valve seat'port, means providing housing chambers at opposite sides of said main casing, saidV main casing having vertical slots in its side walls respectively communicating with said housing chambers, said diverting member having pivot studs projecting through said slots respectively into said opposite housing chambers, a shaft 5 journaled in and between said housing chambers, lever arms on said shaft within said housing chambers, links connecting said lever arms with said pivot studs of said diverting member, one of said housing members having a stuing box means through which an end extension of said shaft projects exteriorly therefrom, and said shaft extension having a polygonal end portion to receive application of an actuating wrench 15 thereto.

ABRAM W. WHEATON. 

